Tri-Force Brings the 'Good Fight' to Boston BJJ Open
By: Jackie Campbell
Ten Tri-Force MMA competitors stepped up to compete at the Boston Open Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament presented by Good Fight on June 24th in Quincy, MA. Even more impressive than the Tri-Force MMA showing to the submission-only competition, were the performances and multi-podium finishes.
Spanning multiple divisions, Team Tri-Force MMA walked away with nine medals, positioning them for an overall second place finish in the Adult No Gi Division and fifth place within the Adult Gi Division results.
Team Tri-Force Results:
Drewy Yeadon: 1st Place- Men’s Purple Belt Welterweight Gi Division
2nd Place- Men’s Purple Belt Welterweight No-Gi Division
Andrew George: 2nd Place- Men’s Blue Belt Welterweight Gi Division
2nd Place- Men’s Blue Belt Welterweight No-Gi Division
Dion Rubio: 1st Place- Men’s White Belt Welterweight No-Gi Division
2nd Place- Men’s White Belt Welterweight Gi Division
Derek Robberson: 1st Place- Men's White Belt Lightweight No-Gi Division
Travis Soulard: 2nd Place- Men’s White Belt Featherweight Gi Division
Ahnise Kassab: 3rd Place- Men’s White Belt Middleweight Gi Division
The tournament boasts an original submission-only format that throws points aside and allows competitors to work their game, take their time and focus on the finish. Without the worry of points or a ticking clock, the Good Fight says that there is a decreased risk of injury for participants, as there is less pressure for intense, explosive matches.
Tri-Force News caught up with some of the team's competitors to talk shop on the tournament
Competitor, Derek Robberson, took home gold in the Men’s Lightweight No-Gi White Belt Division, winning each of his matches by arm-bar. “The fact that this was a sub-only competition was super exciting to me,” Robberson explains. “I’ve never been the type to rely on points. This is my best form of jiu-jitsu in my opinion.”
Travis Soulard, Tri-Force MMA competitor, took second place within the Men’s White Belt Featherweight Gi Division after an impressive forty-minute final match. Matches such as this serve as an excellent example of how a submission-only competition is truly its own beast unlike conventional formats.
Antonio Brito of Tri-Force MMA competed within the Men’s White Belt Lightweight Divisions for both gi and no-gi. The submission-only style tournament was a first of its kind for Brito, who agreed that it was a positive experience. “Submission-only is very much about having a lot of flexibility in your game plan and being able to endure through unsuccessful submission attempts while keeping up on cardio,” says Brito. “I think I did best at getting out of bottom positions and being able to turn it around after being down.”
Tri-Force MMA coach and competitor, Andrew George, took home 2nd place in both the Men’s Blue Belt Gi and No-Gi Welterweight Divisions. “Personally, I thought my strengths were my takedowns in both the gi and no-gi divisions. Within all six matches I got the takedown and I even landed the Russian Arm Drag twice,” says George. “In the gi matches, my strengths were grips and control. I love grips and using the gi against my opponent.”
“I got the takedowns, played x-guard, berimbolo from all kinds of positions...”
George also noted key points within the competition, “My biggest takeaway is knowing that my game works and I have teammates that were there to witness it,” says George. “I got the takedowns, played x-guard, berimbolo from all kinds of positions, and I even gave up dominant positions like mount and back control just to keep the match going since I had fifteen minutes.”
Robberson explained that his strengths were in his wrestling. “No one had an answer to my takedowns. I am also not hesitant to jump on a sub when I see that opportunity,” says Robberson. “My biggest takeaway was how hard it was to get these guys to tap out. I had no easy matches and had to dig super deep to bounce back and battle through adversity to grab the gold. All in all, it was a great experience and I am looking forward to the next one.”
Across the board, Tri-Force MMA’s competitors are looking forward to their next opportunity to compete. Stay tuned for upcoming postings on the website with a new events page, listing upcoming tournaments, MMA and kickboxing cards, and more.